Machine for manufacturing cigars



J. BALL.

Cigar Machine.

Patented Jan. 10. 1865.

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JONATHAN BALL, OF ELBIIRA, NEV YORIK.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURENG CIGARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45.@08, dated Januaryl0, 1865.

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Be it known that I, JONATHAN BALT., of Elmira, in the county of Chemungand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in thelVIanufacture of Cigars; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciication, in whichFigure l. represents a plan or top view ofthe device which I use toprepare the wrappers. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of myapparatus for introducing the filling.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is an improvement in that class of cigarswhich are made with a paper wrapper, and commonly known Aunder the termcigarettes.77

The invention consists in filling the tobacco, cut or broken, around awire, which is introduced through the longitudinal center of a tamperand of the paper wrapper, in such a manner that by means of the tamperthe tobacco can be pressed tightly into the wrapper, and on withdrawingthe wire a center draft is produced, which causes the cigars to burnslowly and even, requiring but little exertion of the smoker.

For the purpose of making the wrapper, I provide a former, A, Fig. 1, ofhard wood or other suitable material, and of convenient length, and madeslightly tapering throughout, or only at one end, if preferred. Itsdiameter is equal to that of cigars to be made. I also provide amouth-piece, B, made of wood, about three-fourths of an inch (more orless) long and slightly tapering, as clearly shown in the drawings. Thediameter of the thick end of the mouth-piece is equal to the thin end ofthe former, and it is provided with a central draft-hole, a, as shown inFig. 2,where said mouth-piece is shown in section. I out the wrapper ofthin paper or other suitable material by a pattern, the length beingthat of the cigar, and the width sufficient to lap about a sixteenth ofan inch around the former. One longitudinal edge and astripofiive-eighths of an inch across thenarrowest` end of the paper is thencovered with a tasteless muoilage', such as gum-arabic, and thewrapp eris laid flat on a piece of board, C, with a semicircular groove. Theformer and mouth-piece are laid on it, as shown in Fig. l, and by themanipulation of the lingers the wrapper is brought together and nishedready for use. I

The finished wrapperis introduced into a mold, C, of wood or othersuitable material, which is placed vertically in the work-bench. Back ofthe mold rises a post,D,to a height ofabout Seven or eight inches, andto the top end of this post a metallic plate, E, is firmly secured, asshown in Fig. 2. This plate extends forward over the center of the mold,and it is provided with a small hole, b, in line with the axis of themold, to admit a wire, c. (Number 16 wire-gage, or of any convenientthickness.) This wire passes through the center of a tamper, F, which ismade of wood, somewhat longer thanthe cigars to be manufactured, andequal in diameter to the thick end ofthe mouth-piece B. It is perforatedthrough its longitudinal center with a hole, CZ, to ad` mit the wire c.The wire is loaded with a weight, e, to prevent it rising spontaneously,and the tobacco is introduced through a cup or funnel, G, which isprovided with a short nozzle passing down into the mold and wrapper, asseen in Fig. 2. By this nozzle the wrapper is held in position. Beneaththe mold I place a standard, I-I, with its lower end resting on thefloor, and its upper end of such a size that it will slide up and downin the bottom end of the mold. This standard serves to raise the cigarout of the mold after it is filled.

The operation is as follows: After the wrapper has been prepared, asabove stated, it is dropped into the mold, with the mouth-piece restingon the top end ofthe standard I-I. The cup or funnel is then traced uponthe mold, the nozzle entering the end of the wrapper, as shown in Fig.2. The tamper is dropped through the funnel into the wrapper, with itslower end resting on the mouth-piece. The wire is introduced through thehole b in the plate D, and through the tamper, its lowest end passingthrough the perforation in the mouth-piece and resting on the standardH, as shown. The tobacco, either dampened or dry, is placed by the sideof the mold, and while one hand holds the tamper and passes it up anddown on the wire the other hand introduces the tobacco through thefunnel.

As the tobacco drops down into the Wrapper, it is firmly pressed in bythe action of the tamper, and the cigar is lled to any degreeA ofhardness or density required. VVhen lled, the tamper is held down andthe Wire Withdrawn, the cup is removed, and the standard H is thenraised, which lifts the cigar out of the mold, when the operatordeXterously crimps the open end of the Wrapper over the tobacco, whichprevents Waste. Cigars so made draw easier and burn more uniform and'afford nioresmoke than those made in the ordinary `Way. They can be madeof tobacco Which ordinarily is of little use, and the eX- pense ofmanufacturing the same is considerably less than that of ordinarycigars.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The use of aWire, c, and tamper ',F, perforated through its longitudinal center, asdescribed, in combination with the inold C, or

its equivalent, and with a suitable Wrapper, constructed and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. Also the method, substantially as herein described, of introducingthe filling ofa cigar around a central Wire for the purpose of producinga central draft.

3. Manufacturing cigars by rst inserting the Wrapper into a mold andafterward fillf'ing in the tobacco, substantially as herein "speciei 4:.In combination With a machine constructed as herein described, the cupor funnel G, employed to hold the Wrapper in position and admit of theintroduction of tobacco after the tamper is inserted, as explained.

JONATHAN BALL.

VVitnesses:

JAMES P. HALL, M. M. LIvINGsToN.

